Filing box and follower member



Jan. 16, 1951 R. F. RANDTKE FILING BOX AND FOLLOWER MEMBER Filed Jan. 6, 1949 Richard E Randrke INVENTOR.

Patentecl an. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,538,165

FILING BOX AND FOLLOWER MEMBER Richard F. Rama, Rochester, N. Y.

Application January 6, 1949, Serial No. 69,466

3 Claims.

'-This' invention relates to a device adapted for filing papers and other paraphernalia or similar articles and has for its primary object to provide a filing box, within which is disposed a novelly and durably constructed follower member.

Another important object of this inventionis to providea followermember for use with a filing box and adapted for pivotal attachment thereto, resilient means being provided for urging the follower member into pressing contact against one of the sides of the box, the follower member being pivotally disposed in the box adjacent the opposing side in such a manner so that the same may be sustained in a closed inoperative position against the side.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a follower member comprising a pair of arms interconnected and having one of their ends pivotally secured to the filing box, so that the arms are foldable upon themselves about a longitudinal line adjacent their pivoted ends and may thereby be sustained in a closed position, resilient means being disposed between the exally in the same horizontal plane, except for the offset portions 4%! in the shank .36 and the similar offset portion 42 in the shank 38. Lateral extensions 44 and 46 depend integrally from'the extending ends of the arms and are provided with horizontally disposed extremities 48 and 50. These extremities are provided with eyelets or apertured heads 52 and 54 to which is anchored tending unattached ends of the arms for urging the arms outwardly into pressing contact with the opposing side of the box.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the ac--.

companying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a filing box .and follower member, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure'l, looking in the direction of the arrows and Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view looking towards side wall l6, illustrating the follower member in an extended or operative position for sustaining a plurality of papers or similar articles in a compact vertical position against one of the side walls of the box.

In the drawing, the numeral Ill designates a filing box having a bottom wall l2 and a pair of opposed end walls 14, joined by integral upright side walls l6 and I8. The box or single receptacle is formed with a permanently open top, whereby articles 20, such as folders, pieces of paper or the like may be inserted within the box.

A follower member 22 is provided for maintaining the articles in a compact upright position and preferably includes a pair of arms 24 and 26. The arms 24 and 26 are identically formed and are provided with depending lateral ends 28 and 30 a spring 56.

In operation, the arms would be urged outwardly against the papers 20 by means of the spring 56, the arms being positioned as illustrated in Figure 2, with the spring compressed. The vertical portions 44 and 46 of the arms would be sustained in pressing or clamping contact against the papers by means of the spring, forcing the papers against the side wall.

It is to be noted that the arms may be maintained in an inoperative closed position by forcing the same against the side wall It, past the pivot points and thereby overcome the tension of the spring. The arms would be in efiect locked against the side wall [6. To unlock the same, it would be only necessary to apply a certain amount of outward pressure, until the arms would pass their pivot points, whereupon the spring would be rendered operative for urging the arms completely outwardly against the opposing side wall.

Thus, it can be seen that there is provided a novelly and durably constructed filing box and follower member associated therewith, whereby papers or similar articles may be more conveniently and easily maintained in a compact upright position and thereby held in an easily accessible placement.

However, while one embodiment of this invention has been shown, it is to be understood that certain other embodiments can be carried out, as coming within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new'is:

1. In combination with a receptacle having a bottom wall and upstanding opposed end walls and connecting first and second side walls, a follower member operatively mounted in the receptacle and including a pair of horizontally disposed intersecting arms, depending ends on said arms, one end of each arm being journaled to one of the end walls adjacent to the ends of the first side wall, and resilient means connected to the other end of each arm and extending therebetween to urge the said ends toward the second side wall, said arms being movable to a collapsed position against the first side wall and being normally urge'doutwardly thereirom toward the second side Wall for pressing articles thereagains't.

2. In combination with a receptacle having a bottom wall and upstanding opposed end walls and connecting first and second-side walls, a follower member operatively mounted in the receptacle and including a pair of horizontallyfiisposed intersecting arms, depending ends on each of said arms, vertical sleeves formed on the end walls adjacent to the opposite ends of the-first side wall, one end of each arm being journaled in one of said sleeves whereby the arms are mounted for pivotal swinging movement between the side walls, and resilient means connected to the other end of each arm and extending therebetween to urge the arms and'said'endsoutwardly from the first side wall toward the 'second'side wall, said arms beingmovableto a collapsedposition against the first side wall and being normally urged outwardly therefrom toward the second side wall for pressing articles thereagainst.

3. In combination with a receptaclehaving 'a bottom wall and upstanding opposed end walls and connecting first and second side walls, a follower member operatively mounted in the receptacle and including an arm spaced from and disposed parallel with the bottom wall, a companion arm overlying in an intersecting plane the first arm, said first arm having an offset center section disposed below the second arm so that the arms lie in the same horizontal plane, vertical sleeves formed on the end walls adjacent to fth'efen'd's of "the first side wall,"eac'h=-of said arms hav'ing downturned opposing ends, one end of each arm being journaled in the sleeves and resilient means connected to the other ends and disposed therebetween, said arms being movable to'a collapsed position against the first side wall and being normally urged outwardly toward the second side wall by the resilient means.

RICHARD F. RANDTKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references "are of record in 'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name pate 1,205,073 Anderson-ensue"- Nov. 14, 191 6 1,229,948 Hall June 12, 191'? FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 204,187 Great Britain 'Sept.q27, 1923 

